


scenes from quarantine

by darksidespice



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Bisexual Ben Solo, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Freeform, Friends to Lovers, Gay Armitage Hux, Getting Together, Graphic Designer Ben Solo, Lawyer Armitage Hux, Living Together, M/M, Quarantined Together, Romance, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:34:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24485953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darksidespice/pseuds/darksidespice
Summary: Hux was not prepared for this. In his non-stop stream of consciousness (where he absolutely does obsess over Ben) he never contemplated that quarantine meant staying at home all the time.Which meant seeing Ben all the time. Because Ben needs to stay at home too. The same home. They live together as housemates.Ben and Hux are housemates and are stuck at home together. Slowly but surely, something changes.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 33
Kudos: 84





	1. strangers

**Author's Note:**

> A lurker looking to contribute some positivity in these uncertain times, and to reconnect with my creative writing roots. I have definitely been super thankful for all the amazing writing in this fandom for getting me through this challenging time. Please enjoy. 
> 
> Most of this is planned out (in my head at least). The last thing I want to do is neglect this work and not finish it! :)

Hux's housemate is like a ghost.

Despite having lived together for almost one month, Hux has barely had a proper conversation with Ben.

Work pays well, but not quite well enough to make buying a property in a trendy, gentrified neighbourhood a stone's throw from the CBD to be comfortably affordable for Hux. He could easily live alone in a more spacious apartment a few suburbs over, but there was something about the organic wholefood grocery stores, yoga studios and pristine parks hosting outdoor boxing classes that made his icy demeanour weaken a bit. Phasma says its because he's a Taurus, and Tauruses tend to like nice things.

If Phasma hadn't moved in happily with her long term girlfriend, Hux would not be haunted by his phantom of a housemate.

Ben was an old friend of Phasma's from her weightlifting gym. She'd assured Hux that Ben was quiet and "neat enough", and Hux agreed to meeting with Ben only because the alternative was making a listing on craigslist or something, and the sorts of unsavoury personalities on there made him shudder.

A few weeks later, Ben moved in.

The only signs Hux sees of life are changes in the groceries in Ben's side of the refrigerator shifting around, dishes and utensils being moved around in the kitchen and that one time Ben's water bottle had been forgotten on the kitchen countertop for about a day. And it's not like Hux had wished for a sort of college roommate brotherhood where they could collectively set up a backyard compost, or go on hardware runs together, or take turns shouting Friday night beers, but it was starting to get strange how minimally their schedules coincided.

This great mystery made Hux's brain tick. For a second he actually thought he should've been a detective for how dedicated he was to finding out more about Ben.

For one, he knew that Ben had some sort of regular job. Phasma mentioned that he did something creative but this fact was never corroborated nor confirmed by the source himself. Hux himself worked as a lawyer in a young boutique firm. Three days a week he left early to go to F45 in the morning, did groceries, dry cleaning or errands in the evenings before having relaxing nights with budget red wine, a good book and bed; or some combination of all those things. They were like the holy trifecta of self-care for Hux.

He also knew that Ben's diet consisted of a lot of chicken breast and cereal; which he ascertained from the boxes of meal-prep in the fridge and the frequency of cereal boxes discarded recycling every week.

It also turned out that Ben happened to have early mornings when Hux did not, with strange work hours, returning to the house only when Hux was about to retire for the night.

But now, things were going to be weird. Hux made it a habit to read the news on his phone every morning, dutifully paying for a subscription to a reputable publication and it seemed to be dominated by alarming pandemic figures, gripping reports on scientific breakthroughs (from bats to biowarfare) and unflattering close-ups of wrinkled politicians. It wasn't long before a firm-wide email came around preparing all the staff and partners for a work-from-home situation.

_Hi staff of Snoke & Associates_

_As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, we want to keep you across all the key changes to the way we work. From next Monday, everyone is expected to work from home until further notice. You can still come into the office if you need to collect anything from the IT store, but be sure to give them a heads up first._

_Follow these tips to make the transition to WFH as seamless as possible:_

_○ Be sure to take your laptop and work phone home with you every evening!_  
_○ If you don't have the right hardware at home, contact IT Services to order monitors, keyboards or laptop chargers_  
_○ We will reimburse you for office chairs purchased for home. Speak to your office manager._  
_○ Access to printers will not be available. Please refer the zero-paper policy on the staff intranet._

Hux had his usual fortnightly dinner with Phasma that night (as the restaurants were sure to close in-house dining soon) and arrived home with his laptop bag and favourite bottle of budget wine, and almost dropped it when he saw Ben at the doorway to the townhouse squinting a label printed on a large, carboard package. The porch was crowded with big boxes.

"Fuck," Ben murmurs.

Hux swallowed.

"Hey Ben," Hux says, trying to sound friendly. "You're home early today?"

Ben startles for a second but then his face relaxed in recognition. "Oh, fuck, sorry for the mess."

"Um, I'll help you take everything inside and you can open it," Hux offers. "I'm sure I have a box cutter somewhere, actually."

They move everything into the living room and he has to push the coffee table aside. He finds the box cutter in a kitchen draw and hands it to Ben, who has pulled his hair into a loose ponytail. For once, Hux gets to have a good look at Ben's face - bitten lips, crooked teeth and warm brown eyes; features set in pale, speckled skin. Odd features like his long nose, large ears and full mouth that should look awkward, but combined together are unconventionally pretty. A red button-down flannel is tucked into dark jeans and the fabric strains at Ben's broad chest.

Hux's brain, usually running haywire with neurotic thoughts (and most recently, his detective-like sleuthing about how his housemate is a ghost) goes static-silent. Oh, is the only thing he can think.

He puts his laptop bag down and watches as Ben unboxes a brand-new iMac with matching wireless keyboard and mouse, along with what seems like a slim, matte-black digital drawing pad.

"Oh," Ben mumbles, "They sent it."

Hux is desperately trying to be nice. Phasma reminds him all to much how he used to be the most neurotic, unpleasant and competitive prick in law school - unafraid to call out other students' mistakes in class, freaking out over an imperfect grade and being absolutely ruthless in moot competitions (though his grades were impeccable and Hux was crowned champion in his final year moot competition). All of that led to Hux securing a lucrative graduate position at one the country's most prestigious corporate law firms; and he spent his first few years working impossibly long days, pouring over deals and mergers way over his measly paygrade and witnessing associate solicitors doing lines of cocaine and popping unmarked pills in a hotel bathrooms at the Christmas parties (as if the open bar were not enough). After a gruelling three years of being the most outstanding junior solicitor; writing impeccable case briefs, an exemplary track record in court, and an unparalleled KPI metric - his senior partner decided to promote fresh-faced Rachel to associate. A snooty brunette, blue-eyed darling among the graduates with signature short pencil skirts, tight shift dresses and low-cut blouses. Sure, she was smart, but she had only been working there a few months.

Hux quit when he realised it was because Rachel was sleeping with half the senior counsel.

"I'll take some of this to recycling," Hux offers. After all, he's a better person now, after seeing a therapist for crippling anxiety and the most self-destructive type-A personality there is.

"Oh no, all good, I can do it," Ben tries to gather up the mess.

Hux shakes his head. "It's really nothing."

Hux is already breaking down the boxes and scrunching up the foamy-plastic packaging for all the equipment and he leaves through the side door quickly to sort everything into the bins. He repeats the trip one more time, and by the time he comes back to put the coffee table back he can hear Kylo moving things around in his room.

Hux was not prepared for this. In his non-stop stream of consciousness (where he absolutely does obsess over Ben) he never contemplated that quarantine meant staying at home all the time. Which meant seeing Ben all the time. Because Ben needs to stay at home too. The same home. They live together as housemates.

Hux retrieves his laptop bag and goes to his own small office space, which is really a nook at one end of the hallway facing a window where he works from home occasionally. He goes into his bedroom and replaces his collared shirt with a relaxed tee. He doesn't feel like sleeping, not yet.

A moment of bravery inspires Hux to knock on Ben's door. Ben opens it, looking a bit surprised.

"Would you like a drink?" Hux says.

Ben's room is simple but looks well lived-in and warm with clothes strewn across the bed and a jacket hung over the back of a chair. Hux could see past his large form that Ben had set up majority of the hardware on a simple IKEA desk.

"Yeah, that would be nice," Ben flashes a brief and crooked smile, "I gotta have dinner anyway."

"Great," Hux exhales a sigh of relief that he didn't realise he was holding. His eyes flicker up to Ben's brown ones, "I have wine."

The kitchen takes up one long wall adjacent to the living area, and Hux had gotten a movable island added in, accompanied by tall breakfast chairs. He sits at one of the chairs, with the wine uncorked to oxidise for a few minutes, and two wineglasses.

"Do you cook a lot?" Hux asks.

"I usually meal prep," Ben explains, pulling out a tupperware box full of food and putting it in the microwave, "So, yeah, guess so."

"I never realise, you leave the kitchen pretty clean," Hux says.

"Yeah I try," Ben offers that small smile again, "Don't want to ruin such a nice place."

Hux chuckles lightly, "Ben, you're literally the reason I can afford the mortgage on this place."

Ben nods, "I like living close to work."

They pause as Ben grabs a fork for his dinner - simple grilled chicken thighs, brown rice and assorted veggies in his very large tupperware container. Hux pours the wine.

"What do you do for work, anyway?" Hux asks Ben.

"Do you know, uh, the Daily Replublic?" Ben asks.

"The newspaper, yes" Of course Hux knows, it was one of the more reliable newspapers around, though it did tend to skew a bit left-wing in it's political commentary.

"Yeah I do graphics for them."

"That's interesting, actually, you must be quite talented."

Ben cracks a smile. "No, I make a lot of graphs. Occasionally photoshop unflattering photos of politicians or famous people."

The rest of the dinner is not-quite-small-talk, punctuated by a few awkward silences as Ben continues to dig and poke at his food. The night outside darkens, and Hux finds himself pleasantly buzzed and enjoying the company. Hux has his face resting on his hand as he listens to Ben recount the copious amounts of infographics he's been making about COVID-19 for work. He really should go to bed, but stays because Ben had decided he was still hungry and poured himself a bowl of cereal. Ben insisted it wouldn't make his stomach upset even with wine in the mix.

That tipsy-pleasant, warm buzz stays as Hux showers and goes to bed.


	2. sweatpants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few references to the Matrix movies, but no spoilers.

Slipping into work-from-home goes well.

Hux's home office is nicely equipped with ergonomic, adjustable monitors, a keyboard and mouse. Every morning he wakes up early, goes for a light walk or jog depending on his mood, takes the time to make breakfast and enjoy it with a book or the news, and really indulges in having a steaming cup of earl grey tea in a tall mug (not a paper coffee cup or bulky thermos) while checking his inbox and arranging his meeting schedule.

He starts to get used to Ben as well. They're on somewhat friendly terms now and Hux's crazy conspiracy theories about Ben have ceased completely.

Ben doesn't do as well as Hux, but he's getting there.

He works slightly later hours, as the mornings are usually reserved for the journalists and writers scrambling for headlines, images and data for the tomorrow's newspaper, or for things to go up online today. Ben doesn't start working until maybe 11am, and sleeps in a bit, watching YouTube videos on his phone.

Depending on Ben's mood, he cooks food for a couple meals, or does some calisthenics in his bedroom. The main priority is consuming as much food as possible (a combination of cereal, fruit, leftover prepared meals or packaged pasta) because by the time he logs on, Ben is furiously working to deadlines in the evening. There is a lot happening in the world and hence a lot of graphs to be made.

Ben only leaves his room during working hours to piss or caffeinate. There's a coffee maker in the kitchen, or he mixes up some caffeinated pre-workout and has that swirled in water instead.

They start to piece together each other's daily routines in the next working week. Hux is usually on a conference call by the time Kylo stumbles, bleary-eyed and with knotted hair, out into the hallway and into the bathroom. Ben walks quietly and with bare feet past Hux's open nook office to the kitchen each morning.

Hux is usually making something for lunch when Ben rushes in to turn the coffee maker on. He always notices Hux at the kitchen island browsing his phone, having food or waiting for something to cook.

"Hello," Ben says, always kind of sheepish and embarrassed.

"Busy day?" Hux asks.

"Yeah, _crazy_ ," Ben breathes out.

-

Hux starts turning on the coffee maker when he starts cooking his lunch. He sits at the kitchen island with a bowl of pasta and a glass of water when he watches Ben sweep into the kitchen on autopilot, reaching for the coffee grinds in the cabinet before realising there's already warm coffee in the jug.

Ben locks eyes with Hux, and smiles.

"Oh my god," Ben breathes (melting because InDesign had crashed twice that morning), "Thank you."

-

Its a late hazy afternoon where its still bright and overcast outside such that you wouldn't turn the lights on, but its beginning to darken fast. Hux has his fingers digging into his temple as he wills his tired mind to read the last few clauses on a securitisation contract that one of his associates had drafted up, trying to force the indemnity clauses to make sense in his head. He still had to write up a firm-wide email detailing the policy on no-contact, electric execution of contracts for the next circular.

"You look like you need a drink."

It's Ben, speaking softly. He's leaning against the hallway wall, bathed in the grey light of a cloudy afternoon from the window next to Hux. Hux feels his face soften a bit when he sees that Ben is holding a big stack of dirty glasses and mugs he'd probably collected from his room over the past few days, it should be disgusting but its goddamn endearing.

"Yes, God yes," Hux replies.

"I've logged off early so I'll run to the shops."

Hux sighs, the junior lawyer working the deal is pretty talented and her work had been for the most part, impeccable, especially after Hux had given her a few examples to use for reference. Surely the last few paragraphs would be fine, it's been reviewed by someone else already. Hux hears the door click closed, he's lost his focus. The most he can do is approve the document, and send some good feedback to the associate.

He returns his own tea mug to the kitchen and starts heating up dinner (leftover stir-fry and rice from lunch). He sees Ben's stack of boxes in the fridge, and Hux's tired, eye-strained mind cannot overthink too much, and a moment of charity strikes when he grabs one and heats up Ben's dinner for him too.

Ben comes back with beer.

"I heated up your dinner for you," Hux sets the tupperware down on the small, round dining table this time.

Ben's face lights up, eyes sparkling. "Oh, thanks. Jesus I'm so hungry, I was gonna eat it cold."

"You shouldn't eat chicken cold like that."

"I know, I know," Ben grabs a bottle opener with two cold beers and sets them down. "Believe me I've made that mistake before."

"Your mother never told you not to?" Hux raises an eyebrow.

"Believe me when I say I've made every type of mistake," Ben says softly. It should sound self deprecating and cynical, but Ben's tone is warm and amused when he says it. Something about that makes Hux think Ben was chaotic and wild when he was young, and something in him desperately wanted to hear those tender war stories. This time, Hux does not pry.

They enjoy their meals in silence. Usually, Ben would be marathoning Youtube videos on his phone and Hux would be clearing things from his inbox well into the night. It was nice to switch off for a while. 

Ben doesn't feel like eating cereal for dessert tonight.

"Hey Hux, do you wanna watch a movie?"

There's something so enticing about putting on a mindless film, Hux thinks, after all he doesn't have to get up early for the morning commute, nor does he need to look presentable for the work day (he has been politely declining video conferences).

"Okay."

Hux sinks into the couch. He finished his beer and decided to move on to the unfinished white wine stashed in the fridge. He was happy about this, it was like finding a gift from his past self.

Ben puts on _The Matrix_. Hux told him he had never seen it and Ben gasps in shock horror.

"What do you mean, it's a classic Hux," Ben frowns, fiddling with the chromecast function to get the movie to play.

Hux finds the costumes amusing. He snorts a laugh the first time he see's Liberty in a ridiculous latex coat and tiny sunglasses.

"You see this shot," Ben articulates at the TV, after Neo had successfully dodged slow-mo, criss-crossing bullets from clones of the evil agent Smith. "Those are CGI bullets, but all the other footage is stitched together using stills from many different cameras..."

Ben breaks down the VFX of the scene with a glint of admiration in his eye. It was all impressively logical to Hux as he'd never realised the way effects artists worked with practical elements to put together a convincing picture. Then again, Hux wasn't one for movies. 

"And just how many times have you seen this film?" Hux thinks of a much younger, teenaged Ben religiously rewinding VHS tapes and quoting cult-classic movie

"Oh," a light blush dusts Ben's cheekbones, "I dunno, maybe fifty? I just watch my favourites again every year or so."

Ben looks down at his hands for a second, maybe he should have picked something more recent and enjoyable?

"I never got a chance to watch these sorts of films," Hux admits. He thought of his dim childhood in Ireland, packed with dull extra-curriculars such as piano-lessons and visits to the community library. Most of which he hated.

"Well I pretty much grew up in the cinema," Ben muses. "It was one of the only ways my parents could get me to sit still."

Hux is reminded that he hasn't been to the cinema in _years_ , save for bad first dates or Phasma's insistence. Ben and Hux watch the rest of the movie in relaxed silence.

-

"Hello," Ben grumbles into the phone.

"Ben!" Rey, his dear baby cousin exclaims into the phone, "Why won't you facetime me?"

"'S early," Ben lies. He has been lying awake watching stunt breakdowns of iconic Jackie Chan movies.

"Luke says you should talk to your Mom more," Rey sighs, "and like, I know you're sick of hearing it but, yeah. Give her a call, she hasn't heard from you since this all started."

"Been busy," Ben says.

"Well, how are you, Ben?" Rey asks, genuinely.

Ben smiles a little bit, not so annoyed anymore. Although a few years his junior, Rey had been such a constant in his life, so unafraid despite his brooding, angry nature as a teenager and young adult, remaining relentlessly caring. They used to live together for a bit, after Ben left the military, and Rey was the only person in his family with tough-enough skin to deal with his shit - a weird combination of anger, sulking and inept social skills which meant Ben preferred graveyard shifts, didn't have many friends and needed to go to therapy. It was like some part of his chaotic, teenaged self messily fused with all the mental baggage of seeing first-hand violence too young, the pressure of life-or-death responsibility; wrapped up in a body at least a hundred-fold more fit than when he had left for basic. They went to the same college, Ben for design and Rey for aeronautical engineering.

"Good. You know that close up edit of Senator Snoke on the front-page the other day?" Ben says.

"Yes?" Rey's smile can be heard through her voice.

"Yeah I made that. In like twenty minutes to deadline. And they put it on the front page of the print paper," Ben laughs a bit.

"Amazing," Rey giggles.

After a pause she says, "but how are you actually _feeling_ , Benny."

Ben rolls over in his bed. He wants to go back to watching his YouTube video before he needs to get up for work.

"Yeah, good. I guess"

-

It becomes painfully apparent that Hux is ill-equipped to be working from home everyday. Monday morning, and he's standing in front of his wardrobe debating what to wear. His pyjamas normally consist of underwear and an old college t-shirt, and the rest of his wardrobe consists of sets of suits with accompanying shirts, pocket squares, ties and socks in a variety of complimentary colours - pale blue-greys, lilacs, navys and the odd splash of magenta or orange. Hux had acquired quite the collection from his days in corporate and simply continued to wear it at the smaller firm he currently works at.

Hux frowns, his casual wardrobe is dismally sad and he hardly feels like wearing jeans to sit down for a whole day.

In resignation, he pulls on the oatmeal coloured linen pants he had been wearing as of late. They're much too stiff to be comfortable but they will do. He has a collection of polo tops and white t-shirts which he has been wearing much more often now that he cannot go into the office.

Ben's entire wardrobe seemed to be comfy-casual, in-between loungewear clothes. Hux noticed that sweatpants seemed to be a necessary staple in Ben's everyday wear.

That night, Ben is setting up the TV to play _The M_ _atrix: Re-loaded_ , after Hux had hinted his evening was free (as it always was nowadays), and told Ben that he could put on a movie if he'd wished. Hux had to admit to himself he was curious to see how the rest of the story folded out.

"How do you own so many sweatpants?" Hux asks (almost chiding), "I don't have anything comfortable to work in."

"Well not all of us live in suits and ties, Hux," Ben is fiddling with his laptop, brows furrowed.

It was probably one of the most noticeable things about Hux's ordinary appearance. Ben remembers that Hux had turned up to their tenancy meeting in a grey suit with a pale blue tie, and was shocked at how effortlessly he wore the look and the quality of the tailoring. It made Ben want to make an infographic with those colours. Ben himself had one good suit his mother he get for a distant relative's wedding. The suit he wore for his graduation didn't fit him anymore. He wore that set so rarely he had left it at his mother's house. When Ben had moved in, it was clear that Hux looked like that most of the time. Not that he was really looking.

"It's in the nature of the job, Ben," Hux sighs. This was a lie, Hux could wear a tasteful version of business-casual to work and blend right in. He merely preferred his intimidating corporate look. 

"Then so is the obsession with alcohol?" Ben asks.

"Its not an _obsession,"_ Hux retorts, "A glass of wine with dinner is hardly enough to constitute a drinking problem."

"Okay," Ben raises his hands up in defence. The movie starts playing and he settles himself into the opposite side of the couch.

"I used to work freelance after graduation so I was home a lot. In sweatpants. And they're good for just about anything - working out, sleeping," Ben yawns.

"Good to know," Hux says thoughtfully.

"And when I did go into work... Before all this," Ben gestures with his hands again, "Casual was fine. I usually wear jeans or something."

"I hate wearing jeans."

"Yeah, same. So like, sweatpants. They're what's good."

Ben offers a toothy smile, flashing those mildly crooked teeth that were oddly charming and endearing. Ben looks back to the TV to fight the incredulous flutter of laughter bubbling in his chest. _Hux doesn't own sweatpants_ , he thinks, amused.

He glances at Hux's face across the couch, so different from the hardened professional smile of the portrait shown on LinkedIn (Phasma gave Ben the link because it was Hux's only online presence). In that photo, tastefully showing the combo of lilac dress shirt, navy suit blazer and purple tie, Hux's hair is parted and gelled back neatly. Unlike now, Hux's coppery-fine hair is combed, but flops over his brow, lighting up all sorts of blond and ginger as the screen flashes with bullets and action sequences.

-

The next morning, Hux settles in for what is going to be a relaxing work day. The month's deadlines have been taken care of well in advance, to cater for any client's last minute demands or amendments, and Hux had decided to delegate to junior counsel to handle the correspondence.

He opens a new tab on his browser and start rifling through the most popular online shopping sites. After some time he finds a few reputable looking brands, not the cheapest but Hux was hardly going to pay a fortune for clothing he would wear strictly at home. Nor was he going to sport some garish activewear label.

He's pleased to find this site has a 'tall' range and huffs a laugh at the fact that he should have thought of that earlier. The site has a huge range of men's casual and loungewear pieces from sweaters to expensive bamboo-cotton pyjamas.

Hux navigates to the 'tall' sweatpants and clicks through the colours - all of which were reasonable. Sighing in resignation, he selects two of the colours and checks out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another collection of moments! I am beginning to realise how free-form this writing style is, but it's exactly how my imagination pieces it together when I think about how this story would fold out. 
> 
> Whilst I would love to embark on a big, plot-filled, canon-divergent story with complex characterisations and space war and galactic betrayals, I think it is nice to just write about the small, ordinary things that inspire me. 
> 
> Hope all is well with you, readers. :)


	3. succulents

Ben wakes with a start.

Flashes of his dream fade as he realises how cold it had gotten through the night. He must have gotten too hot and sweaty; kicked his blankets off subconsciously and rucked his shirt up to his armpits - and now he was freezing. 

He checks his phone - its 7am, way too early to be up for work, but his old marine-body-clock sometimes kicks in for no reason.

Ben grumbles as he hauls his blankets up off the floor and wraps them around himself, then immediately regrets it because the fabric is cold against his bare skin after spending the night neglected on the ground.

Ben turns around, trying to get comfortable, but catches a glimpse of his rolled-up yoga mat propped up against the wall, and suddenly feels a pang of guilt. The gym had frozen his membership after quarantine started. It was actually Rey who used to drag him to yoga classes, because they were running at a discount for students at the college they both went to.

Now that Ben can afford it, he goes to a nice local gym with showers and locker rooms and all the weights he could possibly want to lift or throw around. It was just a perk that they also have a yoga studio - atmospheric pine-wood floors, mirrors, a check-in area with complimentary hot green tea on offer. 

It ends up that Ben's biggest expenses were exercise and rent. Ben glances at his yoga mat again. It was an expensive one. It was recycled rubber, with a suede top which made it impossibly grippy, and even more so when Ben was sweaty.

Fuck it. Ben rolls out of bed and stumbles to his wardrobe, pulling on black leggings, shorts on top of them, and a hoodie.

Via a side door close to Ben's side of the house, there is a small terrace area fenced for privacy. The tile is cold under Ben's bare feet, but the sun is beginning to shine over the silhouettes of trees and the corners of other buildings on the street. Ben rolls his mat out (he had to get an especially wide and 'tall' one). The pattern is black and printed with a speckled, galaxy scene with the sliver of a waning moon and some glinting planets.

Inhaling, Ben presses his palms and spreads his fingers wide on the mat, relishing in a deep stretch along his spine.

-

The yoga is a habit, Hux notices.

He peeks through the corner of the kitchen window as he makes his morning cup of tea, out across the terrace. The agent who sold the home to him said that it was 'perfect for outdoors entertaining, you could get a nice set of outdoor furniture and install an awning' but Hux had done absolutely nothing or the sort. No landscaping, and certainly very little entertaining. 

Hux wraps his hands around the mug. At least Ben is getting some use out of it.

-

A deliveryman stands behind his brightly coloured van, the double doors gaping open to reveal metal stacks of selves with various alphabetised packages and boxes. It was almost 4pm, end of the day and he still had the another street to get to, but everyone has been ordering _so much random stuff online_ it was beginning to irritate the hell out of him. Oh well, better virtual shopping than crowding in malls and on the streets.

He's made the mistake before of not gathering all the packages for one address, and having that sinking-gut feeling of realising there was one tiny, flimsy plastic packet on the floor of the van after his delivery round was over. He had to report it and correct everything in the system. Thinking about it gave him a headache.

One perk of the job was seeing cute dogs and cats around the more suburban streets of his catchment area. But that was besides the point, for right now at least.

He read the list of items on his ipad carefully, then glanced at the pile that had accumulated on the floor of his van. Finally satisfied he gathers all the items up and approaches the porch of the townhouse and places them down. A few soft packages (almost always clothing items), two medium sized boxes (could be anything, but Mr Delivery Man was guessing kitchen appliances judging by the weight, those seemed to be rather popular lately) and a tiny, but densely padded satchel (some sort of electronic, judging by the packaging).

He rung the doorbell, and stood away from the porch. A frowning, ginger man appears at the door, and Mr Delivery Man waves and walks back to his van to finish his route. It was getting late.

-

Fingers flying across a keyboard, Ben smashes out a passive aggressive email. He keys backspace aggressively for every typo he makes because the keys are just that bit to small for his large fingers.

_Here's the chart on ecommerce trends for tmrws paper in standard colourway._

_For next time pls dont change requirements so close to deadline, graphics team cannot commit to changing images_ _after_ _the paper has been approved for publication_

_Next time pls go directly to my mgr_

_Ben_

A few decisive clicks later, Ben powers down his computer and throws himself the short distance onto his bed and buries his face into it. It had been a whirlwind of a day. Though Ben's social skills improved remarkably through his last few years of university, his temper remained on the shorter end.

Ben was perfectly comfortable to doze off on his stomach with the light still on. Just as he realises how goddamn hungry he is, there's a soft knock at the door.

Regrettably, he straightens himself up but ends up sliding off the bed, "Yeah, come in."

Of course, it's just Hux, looking a bit surprised, "Oh, you're on the floor."

"Just finished for the day," Ben grumbles.

"Pretty late for you," Hux glances at his watch.

"Were you waiting?" Ben asks.

Hux looks unsure for a moment and seems to glance into the dark hallway for a second, "Your online shopping came today."

Ben perks up a bit at that. "Oh."

Stumbling to stand, Ben stretches his arms above his head and savours the way his spine crackles pleasingly (morning yoga could only do so much for a stressful day at work). Hux is still standing in the doorway, at a loss for words.

"Yes, uh, kitchen. Your things are in the kitchen."

Ben smiles a little. "I'm gonna have instant noodles and watch _The Matrix Revolutions._ Want to Join? It's, uh, Friday after all."

"Yes. I was going to ask if you wanted to watch it tonight," Hux admitted. "I would quite like to know how it all ends."

Ben sets the movie up, and devours two servings of instant ramen, then immediately has a bowl of cereal with a banana to make up for the guilt of having something so salty. Then he moves on to his packages.

"What did you get?" Hux asks, glancing away from the cryptic exchange going on between the Oracle and Neo in the movie.

"Yoga blocks," Ben smiles. Sure enough, the box contains two black yoga blocks, and the small package contains some sort of adapter cord, "Actually, Hux, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"So like. The outdoor area. Would it be okay if I put some plants out there?"

Just beyond the tiled part of the terrace was a sad looking, dirt plot that is intended for a small garden. Hux had zero interest in gardening so he never bothered to do anything with it, and he was hardly going to pay a professional to lay some grass and plant some shrubs. Or whatever people had in their semi-suburban tiny backyards.

"I don't mind at all. It's all yours, honestly."

"Really?" Ben's face lights up, his eyes are wide and brown and warm.

Hux looks taken aback, and _gosh_ , his eyes are such a striking almost-blue, Ben thinks. Ben has the urge to colour match the shade, find their pantone; for no logical reason whatsoever, other than to commit the share to memory. Hux's face is framed by soft ginger-blond hair, lashes and brows, a jarring delicacy against the way Ben usually hears him speak on the phone to people he works with.

Hux swallows, looking uncertain again. "Actually, I could drive us to the hardware store, I've been meaning to change some handles in my bathroom."

"That would be so great," Ben breaths. "Yeah, that sounds fun. Are you, um, doing anything this weekend?"

Hux huffs, "No, I haven't really been getting out all that much lately."

Ben smiles. "Yeah, me neither."

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I could do tomorrow," Ben muses.

"Like you _totally_ had plans, Ben."

"For all you know, I could be very busy. Having Zoom hangouts with my internet followers where we all sit around and drink wine and eat cheese."

"You stole that off some girl's Instagram. You're not going to do that."

"I might be busy. Making TikToks! In my room. I'm going to be an internet sensation."

"Yes, and?" Hux is struggling to contain his laughter.

"I need to vlog. What I Eat In A Day: Vegan Quarantine Edition; and post it on my YouTube channel."

"Are they going to know about the ramen you had tonight?" Hux is laughing now.

"No!" Ben giggles. Dimples are appearing in his cheek, and Hux can't seem to tear his eyes away. Ben is struggling to breathe. Ben's wide smiles expose his slightly crooked teeth. His eyes are brown and sparkly.

"Yes, and? Anything else I need to know about your _busy_ schedule?"

Ben composes himself. "Yes, okay. I would like to go to the store with you tomorrow."

-

They decide to go to the hardware store early as to avoid the Saturday morning crowds.

The hardware store smells a bit like dirt, paint stripper and wood chips. Its a place that still manages to make Ben feel like a little boy again, with towering shelves and aisles that stretch all the way into the back of the warehouse. Ben grew up being pushed around by Han in uncomfortable shopping trolleys, meandering the aisles looking for timber, nails, the occasional power tool.

Ben makes a beeline for the plant section, which is in an semi-outdoor greenhouse section.

"Should we get evergreens or perennials?" Ben asks.

"What now?"

Ben gestures to a nondescript, shrubby green plant which just looks like a bunch of leaves. "These will bloom in spring, like what the tag says. They're seasonal."

"Sure. Okay,"

"And I wanna look at some of the bigger leafy plants, we can plant them closer to the fence."

"Okay."

"And should we get some herbs?" Ben reaches down to brush his fingers over a small pot of scraggly basil.

"I literally have zero experience in gardening, if the absence of houseplants has hinted at that," Hux admits honestly. "I am happy for you to do whatever you want."

"What, really?"

"Yes, you seem to be very experienced with gardening, so I'll leave it to you."

"Okay," Ben smiles.

They spent the better part of the next hour wandering the displays in the plant section. Ben patiently explains how some plants will bloom in certain seasons, and that Hux's little terrace was always in the shade so it was important to get plants suited for it. Ben picks up multiple little pots of various things, decorative pebbles, fertiliser. Hux just absorbs the new knowledge, dutifully pushing the shopping trolley after Ben as it gets heavier with more and more things.

"So how did you learn so much about this?" Hux asks.

"My uncle Luke was a landscaper and botanist," Ben explains. "He used to babysit me a lot and let me play in the dirt and stuff."

"You sounded like a handful."

"Sure was," Ben laughs, "Still am."

"Really now?" Hux raises an eyebrow, a soft smile tugging at his lips.

"Think you could manage this?" Ben holds up a tiny plastic pot containing a green, spindly cactus. "I mean. Do you think you could keep it alive?"

"No," Hux snorts. "My mother tried to give me something like that as an office-warming when she was visiting from Dublin, after I got admitted here. It has since shrivelled up and died."

"Well, did you water it?"

"I was under the impression that cactii thrived on neglect" Hux non-answered.

"You still have to water them, you know," Ben frowned.

"How would I know that? They don't exactly come with care instructions."

"It's...basic biology?"

"Shut up, Ben. Buy the cactus if you really want to."

"Biology is a very important subject. Knowing your mother's favourite flower can really save your ass if you've missed a birthday or special occasion, you know," Ben smiles crookedly.

Hux can just imagine it, Ben turning up late for a family thanksgiving with an Apology Bouquet at the ready. How very characteristic of him. Hux orders flowers for his mother online, just opting for the slightly-better-than-mid-tier option that looked to be a decent size. Hux would add a bottle of Moscato to the order if it was his mother's birthday.

"Okay, whatever. Should we check out?" Hux says.

"Sure."

-

The plants were carefully loaded into the boot of Hux's car, the taller ones nestled on the floor of the backseat area. The passenger door swings open and Ben is awkwardly climbing into the car with two coffees in hand.

"So, they did know what a 3/4 flat white is," Ben grumbles, placing said coffee in the centre console cupholder, "which, I still think is a stupid order only a stuck up lawyer would order."

"Well, what did you get?" Hux challenges.

"Mocha Frappuccino," Ben retorts. Hux glances over, there is a tall crest of whipped cream atop a cold blended drink, with chocolate sprinkles.

"Is that on the kids menu?"

"No. I got a _strong_ Mocha Frappe. It has coffee in it. Two shots."

"Wow. What a grown-up."

Ben looks like he's sulking for a second, but a little smile gives him away. Hux relishes in his bitter coffee - it had been too long since he'd had something barista made. He wondered if the barista near work missed him.

"Wanna try some?" Ben asks. "It's a fun drink. Much funner than yours."

Eyeing the drink sceptically, Hux accepts it, taking a sip. Sputtering, he hands it back.

"That's disgusting! Its too cold and sweet!"

"What? That's the point!" Ben says, feeling wounded.

Silently, they finish their coffees. The suburb around them is beginning to stir, the sun's rays starting to pierce more assertively into the atmos as the day starts to warm and clingy morning dew begins to disappear. The coffee shop's customers hover apart from others as they wait for their take-away fix, and an attendant at the hardware store is sanitising the handles of trolleys that have been returned. Despite all the little disturbances in normalcy, it is still a beautiful morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note: COVID restrictions are/were different around the world. I have neglected to do much world-building since this is a very freeform story focusing on their home. Just be mindful that I'm drawing on my personal experiences which may be different because of where I am. 
> 
> Hopefully this was a fun chapter to read! I surely had a lot of fun putting it together and creating these candid little moments. 
> 
> Bonus thoughts  
> • Ben is an 'inflexible yogi'; more flexible than the average person, sure, but weight training makes him stiff. He's good at all the strengthy poses; arm-balancing and handstands, and his favourite is Hot Vinyasa flow because it works up a sweat and leaves him sore for days. Ben likes how yoga is mediation with movement.  
> • Hux is more into cardio and functional training. He goes to a F45 gym before work most days. He finds that he is unable to overthink himself to anxiety when he feels like he's suffering physically.  
> • Ben will drink any coffee, though of course he would prefer something sweet for both the sugar rush and caffeine hit. Hux will only order a 3/4 flat white - shot of espresso with the cup filled 3/4 of the way with steamed milk. This way, it tastes strong without having to get an extra shot (Hux is careful not to slip back into the caffeine addition that plagued his law school days)

**Author's Note:**

> Most of this writing will be a collection of scenes inspired by staying at home with a loose plot weaved through it. My aim is to put pen to paper (or, fingers to keyboard?) to all the creative energy that plagues me as of late haha. Let me know what you think.


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